Signaling apparatus



APPLICATION J. M. ROBERTS.

SIGNAUNG APPARATUS FILED SEPT- 22, 1917- HENEWED SEPT. 10,1921. v

Patented J 11110 20, 1922-.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l-' J.M. ROBERTS.

SIGNALING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED sE'PT.22.1917. RENEWED SEPT. 10,1921.

1,420,618. Patented June 20, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 2

Illlllll J. M. ROBERTS.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 22, I917- RENEWED SEP'II. 10. 1921- v 1,420,618.te te ne 20', 1922. -SHEET 3.

a SHEETS UNITED ,s'ra

JACOB MARVIN ROBERTS,

res;

or nonronmvrnemra. i

' SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 22, 1917, Serial at. 192,747. RenewedSeptember. 10, 1921. Serial No. 499,862.

I '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JACOB MARVIN Ron- ERTS,a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadv therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to signallingapparatus of various sorts. They aretypified by messenger call mechanism, police signalling devices, and thelike. One of the objects is to provide a signalling apparatus with amotor for actuating the recording devices; which motor will be actuatedat each actuation of the device which primarily responds to the remotecalling agency, and which .will

11101 6 the record-carrying element properly in relation to the otherparts. Anotherobj'ect is to'provide an apparatus in which the signalcharacters of each set will be clearly defined and be properly spaced inrelation to the others of a set, and by which each set, as an entirety,will be properly disposed in relation to the succeeding set. Othermatters advantageous in such devices are aimed at, as will be set forthbelow.

Fig. 1 is a side view of an indicator apparatus embodying myimprovements.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an end view.

Fig. 1 is a view from the side opposite to that in Fig. 1 showing theparts more particularly connected with the improvements, the othersbeing broken away.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on theline 5-5 of Fig. 1,looking toward the left. i

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionon the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, looking towardthe right.

Fig. 7 is a face view with the intermediate frame plate detached.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the train of gear wheels, looking toward theleft in Figs. 1 and 2. 1 i

Fig. 9 is a view, partly in front elevation and partly in section, ofthe operative parts shown in Fig. 3. r

Fig. 10 is'a face view of a section of the tape or carrying device-forthe signal characters.

Fig. 11 is a vertical section of the standard which supports thearmature, lever and adjunct parts.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June. 20, 1922,

. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view of the'bot tompart-of the powderdelivering device, on a relatively larger scale. I I

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view showing the spring'ratchet wheel and itsdriving pawl.

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the use of a modified formof motor.

' I have shown the-device more particularly connected with .my inventionas applied to a telegraph sounder. The-sounder 1 may be of any usualform, the one'shown having a base 2, magnets 3, terminals 4 for themains, the armature lever 5 pivoted at 5 and having avibrating end 5Around the end of the armature lever is arranged the frame 6-7'8-,having the top horizontal arms 6, the outer vertical bar 7 ,and theinner'vertical standard-8, the latter secured at 8 to the base 2. r

The indicator comprises an endless belt '9. It is supported on rollers'10 and 25 and on a small central tablet). RollerylO has flanges 10 andteeth or corrugationslO for engaging the belt. 11 is a centrally groovedroller on a'swinging arm 12'pivoted at l3 and yieldingly held in placeby spring 14. 15 is a vertically movable receptacle adaptedto' hold amaterial, such as a'dry powder, of suitable color. As shown, it has acylindrical wall 18, a discharge aperture 16, "a horizontal screen 17,and a chamber 17, immediately above the discharge aperture. .11; has acap-closed aperture at 19. It is yieldingly supported by anelastic arm21, fastened at 22 on the frame, engaging with loop 20.

23 is a brush on shaft 2 1, with ai hub 23 and ,tufts 25, this brushremoving powder from the belt as it approaches the receiving receptacle15. 26 is a hood covering the brush. Roller 10 is on shaft 27 carryingpinion 27 Roller 25, is adjacent to brush, and to shaft 28, carryingpinion 29.

Shafts 27 and 28 (respectively advancing the ribbon androtating thebrush) are actuated by devices supported and related as follows: v w

The frame 011 the mechanism comprises the front plate 30, the rear plate31, and an intermediate plate 36. Plates 30 and 31 are braced by spacingtubes 32, 33, 34 and 35, and screws 32 in the tubes engage the plates.

The intermediate frame plate 36'is fastened to plate 31 by spacing tubes37 and screws nets 3, is given.

This frame supports a series of shafts 38, 39 and 40, as well as theabove-mentioned shafts 24, 27 and 28. These shafts are con nected bygearing, viz: large wheel 4-2 on shaft 38, pinion 43 and wheel 44 onshaft 39, pinion 45 and wheel 46 on shaft 40, and pinion 47 and wheel 48on shaft 24.

49 is a helical spring within a cylindrical casing 49. One end isfastened by pin 50 to shaft 38 and the other end fastened by pin 51 tothe casing. 52 is a ratchet wheel on the casing 49*. is a stop'lug onthe casing 49 and 66 is a stop lug on wheel 42, arranged to strike thelug 65.

The ratchet 52 is moved by pawl 56 and is locked against retraction bypawl 53, yieldingly held by spring 54. Pawl 56 is carried by a slide 58comprising a plate 59 mounted in guides 61, 62 and having an elongatedtongue 60 extending mp far enough to be engaged by the vibratingarmature lever 5. When the armature descends the slide plate 58 carriesthe pawl 56 downward and imparts a movement to the ratchet 52 and winds,to some extent, the spring. 58 is a return spring for the slide 58.

lVhen the wheel 42 is free to turn under the action of the spring 49 itrotates the pinion 27 of belt feed roller 10 and also the train of gearscomprising pinion 43, wheel 44, pinion 45, wheel 46, pinion 47, wheel 48and pinion 29, the latter, through shaft 24, causing the brush 23 torotate.

63 is a brake shoe arm fixed on slide 58 and adapted to engageintermittingly with a friction disc 64 on shaft 28.

The action of the parts described is as follows:

Assume that a signal, in the form of a series of (say two) closings andopenings of the circuit through terminals 4 and mag- The armature lever5 is drawn suddenly downward twice. As the end 5 swings down it, duringthe first part of its movement (say inch), pushes down the tongue 60 andthe plate 58 with pawl 56 and brake 63, during'whicli first part of itsmovement the pawl 56 is idle. Just before the swinging end 5 reaches itslowermost limit it strikes a sharp blow on the top of receptacle 15. IThis causes a small quantity of powdered material to pass from thereceptacle through screen 17 and be deposited upon the upper surface ofbelt 9. The powder and the belt are contrasted to such an extent incolor as to have the powder fully visible. It is preferably deposited asa sharply defined circle.

At the instant when the pawl 56, in its downward movement, begins to beactive on the ratchet 52 in winding the spring, the brake 63 commencesto bear with considerable force on o the periphery of the brake disc 64.This results in preventing any motion of the. train of gears (extendingfrom shaft 28 back to shaft 38). This holding of the gear trainstationary continues during the time of striking the receptacle anddepositing the powder, and during thls brief interval (that is, duringthe last inch or thereabouts of downward travel of pawl 58) the pawlimparts a step of rotary motion to ratchet 52 and winds spring 49 tosome extent, advancing the stop 65 away from the stop 66.

As the end 5 of armature lever 5 swings up plate 58 follows it. Shortlyafter starting up the plate lifts pawl 56 up to its inactive positionand also lifts the brake arm 63 off from the disc 64. The gear train isthen free to move, commencing with wheel 42. Instantly shaft 27 isrotated, resulting in feeding the tape 9 at a predetermined distance,and during the same instant the brush 23 is rapidly rotated, and suchparticles of coloring matter as are brought forward during this step ofmovement of the tape are entirely removed from that part of the beltwhich is approaching the receptacle. These movements continue until thestop 66 on wheel 42 reaches the stop 65 on the casing 49 of the springdrum, the drum being held by the pawl 53.

In brief, at each down movement of the armature lever 5 a deposit ofpowder is made on belt 9; and during each up movement of the armatureand slide 58 there is a forward movement of the belt. During the lattermovement (the upward) the brush 23 is removing the powder (of previousindex deposits) and making clean that part of the belt which is movingtoward the powder receptacle 15.

Fig. 10, at 72, 7 3, shows two sets of signal characters or indicia.Between each character and the next, of a set, there is a vacant section74 of the tape. Between each set as an entirety, and the next set as anentirety, there is a longer vacant section 75. The characters of eachset are successively formed quickly, each during the downward movementof a rapid reciprocation (which includes a down movement and an upmovement) of arm 5. After the down movement, arm 5 and slide 58 start torise in an up movement. Spring 49 commences to unwind during this upmovement and wheel 42 is rotated a short distance; but they (wheel andspring) are arrested or stopped before the wheel 42 reaches the limit ofits rotary movement, and each down movement of the pawl 56 does commencequickly after the up movement for each of the indicator characters of aset, excepting the last character of that set. When the, end of that upmovement of these parts 5, 58, etc., (which occurs after the forming ofthe last indicator character of a set 72, 73, etc.) has been reached,the armature lever 5, slide 58, pawl 56 and brake 63 are held up arelatively longer time. 7

This results from the fact that the signal wheel in the remote call-boxhas a predetermined .gap in the series of its circuitclosing and,opening devices; and this gap causes 'a-relatively long opening of thecall ing circuit. Duringthis longer period of main circuit opening,armaturelever 5 not only rises to its uppermost position (as in Fig. 1),but as before stated, remains in its up position for a long time-longenough to permit spring 49 to move wheel 42 far enough tobring its stop66 entirely around to stop lug 65. During this longer rotary movementyofshaft 27 and tape-feed drum 10,-one of the longer sections (75) of thetape is advanced, and the distances between the setsof signals are thusclearly indicated visually.

Consequently, whether there are two de- .positsofpowder in a set ofcharacters, or three, or four, not only will each deposit, considered byitself, be clearly defined on the surface of the belt anddistinguishable from each of the others, but each signal set will besuitably spaced from those adjacent.

The train of gearing from wheel 42 to wheel 28 not only provides meansfor rapidly rotating the brush and thoroughly cleansing the tape, butalso means to which the brake 63 can be applied in such a way as toinstantly start or stop the spring. These devices for braking are incontradistinction from a brake acting at a point near the spring drum.

Thepressure roll 11 bears against the edge parts of the upper surface ofthe belt, and being centrally grooved (see Fig. 1), will not contactorinterfere with thefparticles of indicator material thereon.

Shaft 27, at its outer end, has a friction disc or pulley 68. WVith thisengages a small brake block 69, carried by a screw supported in bracket'71. This brake can be adjusted, and clamped in position to properlycontrol the-travel of the tape.

The tape being longitudinally stationary while the receptacle 15 isbeing jarred and is dropping a charge of powder, there is no drag on thepowder on the tape, and a clear definition of the mark issecured.

The hood 26 is shown as formed with a powder-collecting pocket 26 fromwhich the powder can be periodically taken and returned to thereceptacle 15.

Varying circumstances necessitate adjust ing the pivoting of thearmaturebar 5. The. devices for accomplishing this areshown in Fig. 11. 76, 76are standardssecured to'the base-2. 77 is ayoke piece sliding adjustablyin the standards 76, and carrying the pivot 5 for the armature. The yoke77 should move truly vertically, and it is held by guide ins 78 ingrooves 79-.

The yoke is :moved up or down by arms sharply defined.

80, each of which is .pivoted'at'81 tonne of the legs of the yoke, andat its upper end has a bearing 82. The bearings are supported on a shaft83, which is mounted in .the standards 7 6.. The central part,'longitudinally, of the shaft is iprovidedvwithn roam 86 (held by afastener 87 which.,-iis

fitted in the bearings "82. The'shaft has a milleddisc head 84, whichwhen turn'ediin proper direction causes the cam: 86 todra'w upwardorpush downward ton the-linksB'O, and they, in turn, move the ..-yoke77' and 1 the armature pivot '5 vertically-to bring-the V latter toproperposition. a I 7 With these devicesthe blow "an'dt-hrust 'quired toobtain the proper movements '"of the parts actuated by it.

. Y I prefer to supplement the'screen 17 a may be by means of smallscrews :17. The

upper screen holds back the powder in the main bod of the receptacle'andpreve'nts it vfrom apacli'ing in the chamber 17 andjust enoughpowder :sif-ts into said chamber and to the lower screen for a propermarkirig on the belt 9.

The powder reservoir 18 is slidably -I'no'unt ed on the frame ofth'emachine by a vertical tongue and groove arrangement ind icated i ndotted lines at 18 in 9.

In order'to prevent ryingthe-be1t under the roller 10 -'I provide afixed arm 10 (Fig. 9 "which strips "the belt from the roller 10, thisarm being one of the plate-securing screws, su'ificientl y elongated forthe purpose. I

At the side of the discharge nozzle away from which the-belt 9mo'ves(t'he ljeftfhand side in Fig. 9). I prefer to form a'sli g hticirtout 16 whereby the deposits of 'powder are enabled to pass out fromnhd'er the dis charge nozzle without being smeared, in cases where thebelt advances befere the nozzle or powder outlet rises ou t of contactwith the belt. "It will be understood that such construction of thepowder ou tlet enables me to form an elongated mark or deposit ofpowder, .th'e b'elt should'be mov I I O 0 the teeth 1O from ear:

rocatory movements, these bl'ows delivering I the powder with greaterassurance {and accuracy, the mass of powder 'dep'ostt edfbeing '80 Y ofthe armature bar 5 can be varied' as reeration incident to .Any suitablepowder can be utilized for the indicator marks; and it should be of acolor contrasting with that of the tape, so as to be readily visible.

' The partsiat 49, 49 42 and 38, may be regarded as a secondary motor(for advancing the tape or equivalent work) which is automaticallyenergized by a primary motor while forming the'indicator characters, orequivalent work, the latter motor, as shown, comprising pawl 56, theslide 58, the reciprocating arm 5, and electro-magnetic devicesformoving it. In lieu of a primary motor, such as just specified, one ofmodified form can be used, such as a small electric motor, connected tothe spring i9 by gears, equivalent to the pawl 56 and ratchet 52, thecircuit through the motor to be closed by devices timed in theiractuation, substantially as described, so as to have the receptacle 15and tape 9 reciprocally and intermittingly active and inactive.

Fig. 14 illustrates such an arrangement in which 98 is an electric motoroperating through suitable gears 103 to wind up the spring 49 wheneverthe source of electrical energy flows through the circuit 99 to themotor, this taking place when the slide 58 completes the circuit 99 byengaging the contact 101. It will be understood that the ratchet 52, andits gear 12, are loose on the shaft 38.

' In such a case a device like the slide 58 would, during the first partof its movement down, lock the spring-driven gear train, and then,during the latter part of each movement, close the circuit through thespring-winding motor; and vice versa. In either case there is apower-transmitting train which is automatically locked during that partof the cycle of movement of the firstmotor when the secondary motor isbeing ener ized, and which power train is automatically unlocked so asto be operative during another part of said cycle. That is to say, theprimary motor locks and unlocks the power-transmitting train of thesecondary motor. I

There are a number of novel parts of the apparatus which can be utilizedwith indicators of other sorts, such as perforatorsor crimpers, in lieuof a powder depositor, 'together with a traveling body to carry thevisible characters so formed, in lieu of the tape or carrier for thepowder-deposits here presented.

'I do not however present herein claims specifically relating to thesedevices for producing permanent visual characters upon the tape, or itsequivalent, I having presented claims relating thereto in anotherapplication N 0. 565,206 filed June 1, 1922; nor do I herein claim thespecific features of construction, relative arrangement and mode ofopthe prime lever, the magnets, the spring, the gearing, the brake andthe other devices presented in said other application wherein I haveillustrated and described several improvements to which I have been ledby my experience with the form of mechanism herein described.

What I claim is V 1. In a signalling apparatus, the combination of aprimary motor, a primary power transmitter, a secondary motor energizedby said primary power transmitter, a secondary power transmitter, asignal receiving and carrying device which is moved by said secondaypower transmitter, means actuated by said primary motor for producingsignals on said signal receiving device, and means actuated by theprimary motor for preventing transmission of power by said secondarymotor.

2. In a signalling apparatus, the combination of an armature, a slideand pawl actuated by said armature, a spring which is wound andenergized by said slide and pawl, a train of gearing actuated by saidspring, a tape adapted to receive and carry signals, and a brakeactuated from said armature for preventing the expansion of said spring.

3. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of the powder depositor,the movable deposit receiver, the shaft for moving the receiver, thespring having one end fixed relatively to the shaft, means for windingthe spring, a power transmitter which actuates the depositor andsimultaneously winds the spring and locks it against action and is alsoadapted to free the spring and permit it to rotate said shaft.

4:. In a signaling apparatus, the combination with the powder depositorof a movable deposit receiver, the motor spring having one end fixedrelatively to the deposit receiver, means connected to the other end ofthe spring for winding it, a reciprocating power transmitter which,whilemoving in one direction, actuates the powder depositor and alsowinds the spring and looks it, and while moving in the other directionfrees the spring to permit its advancing the deposit receiver.

5. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of the powder depositor,the movable deposit receiver, the shaft for moving the receiver, thespring having one end made stationary relatively to the shaft, meansconnected with the other end of the spring for winding it, twointer-engaging stops, one connected to the shaft and one connected tothe spring winder, the power transmitter which actuates the depositorand moves one end of the spring in the winding direction, andautomatically acting means for preventing the spring from moving in theunwinding direction while the depositor is acting.

6. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of the powder depositor,the movable deposit receiver, the shaft for moving the receiver, thespring having one end made stationary relatively to the shaft, meansconnected with the :other endof the spring for winding 1t, twointer-engagingwstops, one

connected to the shaft and one connected to the winder, a reciprocatingpower devlce WhlCl'l, through one of its movements, causes the depositorto deliver powder deposits'to the receiver and to move one end of thespring in the winding directon, and auto-- shaft, and the stop on thewheel adapted to engage the said stop lug to limit the movement of thedeposit receiver.

8. In a signaling apparatus, the combination with the powder depositor,of the movable deposit receiver, the shaft forrmoving the receiver, thespring at one end connected I to the shaft, the drum connected to theother end of the spring, a stop lug on the drum, the

inter-engaging stop connected to the shaft,

and means for simultaneously winding the spring. 7 v i 9. In a signalingapparatus, the combination with the powder depositor and the de- "positreceiver, of means for moving the receiver either a relatively shortdistance-or a relatively longer distance, means for stop-- ping themovement of the receiver at the end of a relatively short movement, andsupplemental means for stopping the receiver at the end of a relativelylonger movement.

10. In a signaling apparatus, the combination with the powder depositor,of the traveling device which receives and exhibits thesignal-characters so device, and means actuated by the power deformed,the power vice for imparting blows to the device which 1 forms thesignal-characters."

11. In a signaling a,pparatus,the combi- I nation of a powder depositor,movable means for receiving the powder deposlts, a power dev1ce,andmeans actuated by the power device for imparting blows to the depositor.

12: In a signaling apparatus, the combination of the. powder depositor,means for receiving and exhibiting the powder deposits, the primarymotor, the'device actuated by the primary motor for imparting blows tothe depositor, and means brought into action by the primary motor formoving the deposit receiver after the deposits have been respecr,

tively formed thereon. a

13. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of the powder depositor,the movable deposit receiver, means for moving the re- U ceiver, areclprocating baradapted to im part jars to the powder depositor and tocause the actuation of the receiver-moving 'means after the depositorhas been jarred. c,

'14. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of the means for formingpowder deposits, the fee-ding roll for the carrier, "and the opposingpressure rollv formed with a central groove. a

15. In a'signaling apparatus, the combination 'of a deposit carrier, thepowder depositor yieldingly sup-ported adjacent to the carrier, andmeans for strikingblows'on the depositor.

16. In a signaling apparatus, the combination with the powder depositorand the movablecleposit receiver, of an electro-magnetically actuatedhammer-like device for imparting blows to the depositor.

I In testimony whereof, I affix my signature,

in presence of three witnesses.

JACOB MARVIN ROBERTS. Witnesses:

R. RUPToN,

JOHN UPTON, M. R. GREGORY, Jr.

